National Law University, Delhi is hosting the 17thAsian Law Institute (ASLI) Conference, virtually for the first time, from 7 to 9 November 2020.
Organised annually by ASLI, the conference provides a platform for legal academics and scholars from ASLI member institutions, as well as from Asia and beyond, to present their research and examine contemporary legal issues of interest to Asian jurisdictions. The theme for this year’s conference is “Law & Justice in Asia”.
The virtual conference opened with welcome address from Professor Sri krishna Deva Rao (Vice Chancellor of National Law University Delhi) and Associate Professor KelryLoi (Co-Director, ASLI), National University of Singapore. The keynote address was delivered by the Honorable Justice N. V. Ramana, Judge, Supreme Court of India and Visitor of National Law University Delhi.
The Honorable Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court and Chancellor of National Law University Delhi, Justice D N Patel graced the Conference as a Special Guest.
Justice Ramana elaborated on the concept of justice as elucidated in the Indian constitution and its pivotal role in state functioning. He also highlighted as to how most of the Asian countries have been facing similar challenges, and the varied experiences in solving these problems can be profitably shared between everyone. He said “Many of our nations share a colonial past, and have similar tales regarding the imposition of unjust colonial law on our people. However, we must also remember that, a foreign legal system was imposed upon us, along with a set of foreign values and norms. This imposition dwindled the rich heritage, and subdued local customs which had ensured social stability. Traditional values and ideals relating to social and community well-being, which were inherent in our way of life, were foregone. However, justice always requires a tailor made approach and cannot be one-size-fit-all. “
He further added “The comparative study of law prevailing in different Asian countries constitute another way of engaging with law from the standpoint of justice”. He wished for the conference to break barriers, build new friendships and exchange potential solutions saying that “the seeds of new thoughts and ideas will be sown during this conference.”
Professor Srikrishna Deva Rao, Vice Chancellor, NLU Delhi in his welcome address stated that “The Asian nations, with their shared historical experiences and similar development trajectories, today face a fundamentally different governance landscape than the other nations in the West. The hope from this Conference is that these distinct experiences and trajectories also enable the members of ASLI to propose Asian legal solutions to these unique Asian challenges”.
More than 150 participants attended the Opening of the Conference and a total of 108 papers will be presented over the three days.
The Conference will cover legal issues related to a wide variety of subjects that include Constitutional and Administrative Law, Environmental Law, Human Rights, Information Technology Law, Corporate Law, Children and Law, Women and Law, among others.
As with previous conferences, there will be an Open Forum on the first day of the Conference to provide an opportunity for the Directors of ASLI to update the members on latest developments and invite ASLI members and conference attendees to ask questions and share their opinions.
After three full days of papers and presentations, the conference will come to a close in the morning of 9 November 2020 with a presentation on the 18th ASLI Conference by Professor Bintan R. Saragih, SH, Dean, Faculty of Law, Universitas Pelita Harapan and Closing Remarks from Professor Srikrishna Deva Rao (Vice Chancellor, National Law University Delhi) and Associate Professor Kelry Loi (Co-Director, ASLI)
The 18thASLI Conference will be held next year at Universitas Pelita Harapan in September 2021.